Clothes-washing device.



H. M. BURDICK.

CLOTHES WASHING DEVICE.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAY 27. 19x4.

Patented May 2,1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0,, WASHINGTON, D. c-

ra 1n 1::

HIRAM M. IBUIRZDICK, 0F UTICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE- I-IALF TO AVERY HORTON.

CLOTHES-WASHING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM M. BURDICK, of Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Washing Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a convenient clothes washing device comprising a pounder and a washboard, the pounder being downwardly flaring and preferably funnel-shaped, so that it will afford a wide supporting base for a washboard, and being preferably formed hollow, so as to serve as a suction pounder or washer in agitating the clothes. The pounder or suction washer is provided with an up wardly extending standard rigidly attached thereto and adapted to serve as a support for the upper end of the washboard, said standard being of such construction that either a horizontal or a vertical handle may be readily clamped thereto, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clothes washing device embodying my invention and equipped with the horizontal handle. Fig. 2 is a perspective view on a slightly smaller scale of a clothes washing device embodying my invention asequipped with a perpendicular handle. Flg. 3 is a perpendicular sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 1 taken through the rubbing board and suction pounder or washer and on a larger scale. Fig. i is a side view of the same device but at right angles to the last section and looking toward the back of the rubbing board. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on a still larger scale taken through the handle shown in Fig. 2 just above its means for detachably securing the handle to the loop of the device.

Referring to the drawings in a more particular description, the device preferably comprises a hollow funnel-shaped pounder or suction washer Twith widely extended lower rounded edge 8, inner partition 9 preferably concentrically arranged in the maln outer wall of the washer andpreferably extending above the upper edge of sald main wall 7 of the washer to form a less tapering shank portion 10 which in turn is closed by a cap 11. The inner tubelike partition 9 may conveniently be provided with cross partitions 12 at its lower end to prevent the clothes entering too far into this opening and to make the washer form a more firm base for the device when the rubbing board is being used.

Extending upwardly from the washer 7 is a standard consisting preferably of a strong elongated U-shapedloop 13 secured to the washer by means of its ends being rigidly secured to the shank portion 10 preferably by extending through the cap 11 and being fastened to the inner surface of said shank portion. The upper end of the loop 13 is adapted to receive either form of adjustable clamp hereinafter mentioned for securing to the device either a horizontal or a perpendicular handle.

The rubbing board 1 1 having any desired form of surfacing or corrugations 15 has its lower end secured to the main wall 7 of the washer near its base and extends upwardly slanting toward the aXis of the washer and has its upper end secured thereabove to the a two rods of loop 13 some distance above the top of the shank portion 10. Preferably the rubbing board 1 1 will be of rigid material and will be further strengthened by having its edges rolled or otherwise strengthened as at 16.

I provide means for attaching to my clothes washing device either a perpendicular handle or a horizontal handle by detachably securing either of said handles to the loop 13 as hereinafter shown. With the horizontal handle 17 I use two clamping members 18 pressed together by a bolt 19 passing through the middle of both clamping members and receiving a nut 20 on the other side. Below the bolt 19 the two clamps are oppositely recessed with a shallow U-shaped groove in order to receive therebetween the transverse or horizontal portion 13 of loop 13 and for some distance downward therefrom the upper ends of the rods of loop 13 between downwardly extending ears 18 upon the clamps 18 as plainly indicated in Fig. 4 in order to prevent any looseness of the clamp members upon the loop 13 and particularly to prevent any rolling action of the clamps about the transverse portion 13 of the loop 13. The clamp members 18 encircle and securely en gage the horizontal handle 17 as plainly indicated in Fig. 3. It will be obvious that this handle may be readily detached by loosening bolt and nut 19 and 20 and slipaing the clamp from the loop 13.

c On top of cap 11 on the shank portion 10 and on the side away from the rubbing board is provided a socket 21 into which maybe set the lower end of the vertical handle 22. Just below the transverse portion 13 of loop 13 a three-armed clamp 23 is secured to handle 22 as by means of headed bolt 24: passing through the clamp 23 and throughhandle 22 and receiving therebeyond nut 25. Two oppositely disposed arms 26 upon clamp 23 engage and partly encircle the upper portions of the two rods of loop 13 and press them toward the handle 22 while an upwardly extending arm 27 engages the outer and lower side of the transverse portion 13 of the loop 13 holding said transverse portion toward the handle and preventing any downward movement of the loop in relation thereto. The construction of this clamp and its connection with the washing device is particularly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. It will be obvious that this clamp may be readily released. by unscrewing bolt 25, withdrawing the bolt from the handle and thus allowing the handle to be removed from the washing device.

With either handle my clothes washing device may be used in the ordinary manner of a clothes pounder or suction washer by successively pressing the device down upon the tub or pail of clothes submerged in waterand withdrawing the device from the clothes. While the device is being so used the rubbing board 14 will in no wise interfere since it does not project below or beyond the line of the wide flaring base 8. As against the unusually soiled portions of clothes such as wrist bands, collar bands, sleeve ends, etc., the washer is found to be inefiective and these portions must be manipulated more vigorously as by rubbing between the hands or by rubbing upon a rubbing board. My device provides the rubbing board directly upon the washer and in such position that the washer does not have to be removed from the tub or changed to any new position therein. Moreover the wide flaring base of the pounder or washer together with its internal partitions affords a sufficiently solid and wide spread base while simply resting upon the clothes for the efficient use of the rubbing board. It will be noticed that the rubbing board slants from one side of the washer upward to about the central line of the device. Accordingly the natural position of the pounder or washer resting upon the clothes holds the rubbing board in the natural inclined position for eifective work so that very little strain or pressure needs to be placed upon the handle of the device in order to hold the same in position while the rubbing board is being used. It will be noticed furthermore that the usual downward and backward pressure placed upon the rubbing board really tends to hold the device more firmly in position because this pressure is transmitted to the device in a line passing downward between the extremities of the wide flaring base 8 instead of tending to'tip the device over or produce undue strain upon the hand of the operator holding the device.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A clothes-washing device com-prising a downwardly-flaring base portion having a comparatively broad bottom arranged to rest on the bottom of a receptacle and on clothes therein, a standard rigidly attached to the base portion and extending upwardly therefrom, and a rubbing-board secured at its lower end to said base portion near the lower edge thereof and at its upper part to said standard at a place above the top or the base portion and affording a rubbing-surface extending in an inclined position from the bottom of the base portion to a point above the top of said portion.

2. A clothes-washing device comprising a downwardly-flaring base portion having a widely-extended bottom arranged to rest on the bottom of a receptacle and on clothes therein, a standard in the form of a loop having its legs rigidly attached to the base portion and extending upwardly therefrom, and a rubbing-board secured at its lower part to said base portion near the lower edge thereof and at its upper part to each of the legs of said standard at a place above the top of the base portion and affording a rubbing-surface extending in an inclined position from the bottom of said base portion to a point above the top of said portion.

3. A clothes-washing device comprising a downwardly-flaring base portion having a comparatively broad bottom arranged to rest on the bottom of areceptacle and on clothes therein, an annular partition in said base portion, a standard in the form of a loop having its legs secured to the sides of the partition and extending upwardly above the base portion, and a rubbing-board secured at its lower part to said base portion near the lower edge thereof and at its upper In Witness whereof I have affixed my sigpart to each of the legs of said standard at a nature, in the presence of two Witnesses, this place above the top of the base portion and 18th day of May 1914.

affording a rubbing-surface extending in an HIRAM M. BURDICK. 5 inclined position from the bottom of the Witnesses:

base portion to a point above the top of said HARRIET WILLIAMS,

portion. ELIZABETH IRVING.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. (2. 

